Is Morris Ford Middle School a good school?

Morris Ford Middle School ranks 389 th of 535 Washington middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Morris Ford Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 882 students attended Morris Ford Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Morris Ford Middle School?

Students at Morris Ford Middle School are 34% Hispanic, 29% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% African American, 8% Asian, 5% Pacific Islander.

What high school do graduates of Morris Ford Middle School attend?

Students who attend Morris Ford Middle School usually go on to attend Franklin Pierce High School

Morris Ford Middle School

Summary:

Morris Ford Middle School is a public middle school in Tacoma, Washington, serving 882 students in grades 6-8 and part of the Franklin Pierce School District, which is ranked 205 out of 247 districts in the state.

Morris Ford Middle School faces significant challenges, with a diverse student population that includes a higher percentage of Hispanic (34.24%) and Pacific Islander (4.65%) students compared to surrounding schools. Academically, the school consistently ranks in the bottom half of Washington middle schools, with proficiency rates in SBAC English Language Arts and Math that are significantly lower than state averages, at around 38% and 23% respectively. Additionally, over 60% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. The school also has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 16.6 to 18.4 over the past few years.

Compared to nearby middle schools, such as Spanaway Middle School, Morris Ford Middle School generally underperforms across multiple academic measures. The school's performance has also been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 148 out of 498 middle schools in 2012-2013 to 389 out of 535 in 2023-2024. Addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach that focuses on improving educational outcomes for all students, particularly those from underserved and underperforming subgroups.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1602 104th Street East
Tacoma, WA 98445-3838

(253) 298-3605

District: Franklin Pierce School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
389^th of 535 Washington Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,655

Students who attend Morris Ford Middle School usually attend:

High:

Franklin Pierce High School

Feeder schools for Morris Ford Middle School:

Elementary:	Central Avenue Elementary
	Collins Elementary
	Harvard Elementary
	Midland Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 882

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.2%

White:

29.3%

Two or more races:

15.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.1%

See top rated Washington middle schools

Compare Morris Ford Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Morris Ford Middle School ranks worse than 72.7% of middle schools in Washington. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.86. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Morris Ford Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (34.2%), White (29.3%), two or more races (15%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Morris Ford Middle School is 16.6. (See more...)

Compare Morris Ford Middle School employs 53 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Morris Ford Middle School is $18,655.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Morris Ford Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Morris Ford Middle School 389^th of 535 Washington public middle schools. (See Morris Ford Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Franklin Pierce School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Franklin Pierce School District 205^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Morris Ford Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	45.26	241^st	421	42.8%
2005	45.71	250^th	425	41.2%
2006	47.53	236^th	449	47.4%
2007	52.27	218^th	463	52.9%
2008	60.04	173^rd	466	62.9%
2009	73.57	102^nd	476	78.6%
2010	63.58	156^th	483	67.7%
2011	63.54	153^rd	492	68.9%
2012	70.96	115^th	497	76.9%
2013	67.91	148^th	498	70.3%
2015	49.13	217^th	445	51.2%
2016	45.59	241^st	443	45.6%
2017	41.70	253^rd	435	41.8%
2018	32.72	298^th	437	31.8%
2019	30.90	369^th	512	27.9%
2021	29.52	382^nd	529	27.8%
2022	23.11	423^rd	541	21.8%
2023	23.63	418^th	539	22.4%
2024	26.86	389^th	535	27.3%

See the entire list of Washington Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	25.39	130^th	166	21.7%
2019	25.95	195^th	246	20.7%
2021	35.64	162^nd	250	35.2%
2022	31.78	177^th	257	31.1%
2023	28.08	182^nd	244	25.4%
2024	25.67	192^nd	243	21.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	42.95	61^st	135	54.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.82	232^nd	268	13.4%
2024	12.04	176^th	179	1.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	48.93	165^th	349	52.7%
2019	46.83	238^th	448	46.9%
2021	44.68	241^st	458	47.4%
2022	34.40	323^rd	475	32.0%
2023	29.03	343^rd	463	25.9%
2024	32.97	314^th	455	31.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	36.11	43^rd	59	27.1%
2021	34.68	21^st	27	22.2%
2022	37.27	22^nd	33	33.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	30.46	268^th	376	28.7%
2019	29.69	333^rd	452	26.3%
2021	32.87	315^th	469	32.8%
2022	23.78	372^nd	479	22.3%
2023	27.85	345^th	464	25.6%
2024	31.17	326^th	464	29.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	20.74	45^th	50	10.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	31.96	257^th	371	30.7%
2019	31.46	311^th	453	31.3%
2021	27.63	343^rd	476	27.9%
2022	21.89	389^th	480	19.0%
2023	18.12	401^st	470	14.7%
2024	22.24	373^rd	466	20.0%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	52.17	71^st	152	53.3%
2021	16.11	132^nd	149	11.4%
2022	14.33	144^th	161	10.6%
2023	17.60	120^th	145	17.2%
2024	21.71	122^nd	148	17.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	52.19	24^th	66	63.6%
2019	57.01	33^rd	111	70.3%
2021	37.89	67^th	106	36.8%
2022	20.18	97^th	104	6.7%
2023	32.54	63^rd	96	34.4%
2024	38.91	53^rd	90	41.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	31.63	181^st	259	30.1%
2019	33.07	234^th	344	32.0%
2021	38.89	201^st	353	43.1%
2022	24.73	286^th	360	20.6%
2023	25.17	256^th	336	23.8%
2024	34.96	216^th	344	37.2%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	68.53	6^th	31	80.6%
2021	44.48	11^th	19	42.1%
2022	44.77	13^th	20	35.0%
2023	59.77	2^nd	6	66.7%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Morris Ford Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	31.36	228^th	325	29.8%
2019	30.40	346^th	470	26.4%
2021	36.20	304^th	480	36.7%
2022	31.66	341^st	488	30.1%
2023	25.74	374^th	488	23.4%
2024	30.16	352^nd	486	27.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Morris Ford Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	537	10	15	7	11	n/a	n/a	0	580
1989	558	23	20	9	8	n/a	n/a	0	618
1990	573	21	14	10	14	n/a	n/a	0	632
1991	595	30	19	16	13	n/a	n/a	0	673
1992	643	29	16	11	15	n/a	n/a	0	714
1993	684	41	24	17	13	n/a	n/a	0	779
1994	736	29	18	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	806
1995	699	45	16	24	13	n/a	n/a	0	797
1996	699	45	16	24	13	n/a	n/a	0	797
1997	642	89	43	34	38	n/a	n/a	0	846
1998	682	73	49	29	43	n/a	n/a	0	876
1999	700	70	65	28	27	n/a	n/a	0	890
2000	726	63	70	36	16	n/a	n/a	0	911
2001	742	73	64	42	18	n/a	n/a	0	939
2002	704	99	77	58	19	n/a	n/a	0	957
2003	704	99	77	58	19	n/a	n/a	0	957
2004	711	115	111	74	28	n/a	n/a	0	1039
2005	490	93	74	47	25	n/a	n/a	281	1010
2006	608	125	127	86	33	n/a	n/a	24	1003
2007	516	138	112	100	35	n/a	n/a	38	939
2008	511	111	95	105	32	n/a	n/a	49	903
2009	502	113	91	125	31	n/a	n/a	58	920
2010	474	86	116	134	31	n/a	n/a	73	914
2011	442	104	76	161	14	39	84	0	920
2012	436	93	69	154	8	49	114	0	923
2013	412	78	69	185	3	40	115	0	902
2014	396	80	70	228	4	27	99	0	904
2015	388	85	73	252	6	27	91	0	922
2016	387	70	74	252	3	25	114	0	925
2017	379	71	72	248	6	35	114	0	925
2018	344	74	82	272	7	30	116	0	925
2019	323	88	85	314	8	43	139	0	1000
2020	322	79	81	358	8	40	152	0	1040
2021	280	85	70	342	8	42	152	0	979
2022	285	88	73	318	9	42	151	0	966
2023	258	73	67	302	8	41	132	1	882

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Morris Ford Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	580	32.0	18.1	0
1989	618	34.0	18.1	n/a
1990	632	34.7	18.2	0
1991	673	35.8	18.7	n/a
1992	714	38.6	18.4	n/a
1993	779	40.8	19.1	n/a
1994	806	41.9	19.2	n/a
1995	797	37.5	21.3	n/a
1996	797	37.5	21.3	n/a
1997	846	40.6	20.8	n/a
1998	876	43.3	20.2	n/a
1999	890	45.5	19.6	n/a
2000	911	45.5	20.0	n/a
2001	939	47.1	19.9	n/a
2002	957	48.0	19.9	40.3
2003	957	48.0	19.9	40.3
2004	1039	49.0	21.2	46.9
2005	1010	49.4	20.4	62.6
2006	1003	51.5	19.5	45.4
2007	939	49.6	18.9	47.6
2008	903	49.0	18.4	50.4
2009	920	49.0	18.8	46.9
2010	914	46.7	19.5	58.4
2011	920	44.4	20.7	53.6
2012	923	48.5	19.0	64.6
2013	902	49.9	18.0	67
2014	904	n/a	n/a	68.3
2015	922	50.0	18.4	73.6
2016	925	48.0	19.2	80.3
2017	925	48.9	18.9	75.2
2018	925	49.0	18.8	69
2019	1000	53.0	18.8	76.8
2020	1040	57.0	18.2	75
2021	979	53.0	18.4	65.7
2022	966	53.7	17.9	62.5
2023	882	53.0	16.6	64.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Morris Ford Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	580	32.0	18.1	0
1989	618	34.0	18.1	n/a
1990	632	34.7	18.2	0
1991	673	35.8	18.7	n/a
1992	714	38.6	18.4	n/a
1993	779	40.8	19.1	n/a
1994	806	41.9	19.2	n/a
1995	797	37.5	21.3	n/a
1996	797	37.5	21.3	n/a
1997	846	40.6	20.8	n/a
1998	876	43.3	20.2	n/a
1999	890	45.5	19.6	n/a
2000	911	45.5	20.0	n/a
2001	939	47.1	19.9	n/a
2002	957	48.0	19.9	40.3
2003	957	48.0	19.9	40.3
2004	1039	49.0	21.2	46.9
2005	1010	49.4	20.4	62.6
2006	1003	51.5	19.5	45.4
2007	939	49.6	18.9	47.6
2008	903	49.0	18.4	50.4
2009	920	49.0	18.8	46.9
2010	914	46.7	19.5	58.4
2011	920	44.4	20.7	53.6
2012	923	48.5	19.0	64.6
2013	902	49.9	18.0	67
2014	904	n/a	n/a	68.3
2015	922	50.0	18.4	73.6
2016	925	48.0	19.2	80.3
2017	925	48.9	18.9	75.2
2018	925	49.0	18.8	69
2019	1000	53.0	18.8	76.8
2020	1040	57.0	18.2	75
2021	979	53.0	18.4	65.7
2022	966	53.7	17.9	62.5
2023	882	53.0	16.6	64.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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